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Federal Drive interviews -- May 30

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today's guests:

David Berteau —
senior vice president and director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Two female Army officers have filed a lawsuit against the Defense Department for banning women from combat. They call the policies unconstitutional and say their careers have been stunted because of them. They claim some women are actually in more danger because they're denied combat training but wind up in the battle anyway. David Berteau offers his take on the case.

John Palguta —
vice president for policy, Partnership for Public Service

Surveys show federal senior managers are not thrilled about their salary freezes. But pay is more or less the same no matter what agency you work for. That means other factors enter into work and job satisfaction. A Partnership for Public Service report is out this morning with a comprehensive look at pay and benefit satisfaction among you and your colleagues.

A new report shows veterans are waiting longer for disability benefits, despite recent attempts by Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department to speed up the process. Veterans are growing frustrated and concerned. They're not the only ones. Lawmakers are taking VA to task as veterans return home from war with pressing mental-health needs. Jeremy Herb, who covers veterans' issues for The Hill newspaper, discusses the issues and ideas floating around Capitol Hill.

Mindy Eisenberg —
chief of the Protection Branch of EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency is working to find jobs for vets in a field you might not have thought about — water and wastewater management. It's a joint effort between the EPA and the Department of Veterans Affairs to open up opportunities in an industry where demand for labor is growing.